Production of cyanuric chloride



of charcoal.

Patented Dec. 13, 1949 PRODUCTION OF CYANURIC CHLORIDE Jack T. Thurston, Riverside, Conn, assignor to American Cyanamid Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maine No Drawing. Application January 16, 1945, Serial No. 573,143

It has been discovered that cyanogen chloride .will polymerize to cyanuric chloride in the pres- ,ence of charcoal when the reaction chamber containing the charcoal and cyanogen chloride is ,heated to above the boiling point, 190 C., and

below the decomposition point of cyanuric chloride. It has also been discovered that yields are increased if the charcoal carries an acid chloride material, such as hydrogen chloride, one or more group II metal chlorides, or a mixture thereof.

There are several advantages arising from the use of this newly discovered vapor phase method of polymerizing cyanuric chloride which are not obtained in earlier methods. hazards previously encountered in handling the reaction mixtures obtained from liquid phase For instance, the

polymerizations are eliminated. Again, the vapor phase preparation of cyanuric chloride is more economical and large amounts of product of good purity are obtained as a result of this discovery because the cumbersome steps of filtration, washing, recrystallization and/or distillation are no longer necessary for the isolation and recovery of cyanuric chloride.

In the present method, the cyanogen chloride vapors pass into the reaction chamber containing the charcoal catalyst and the cyanuric chloride vapors issue, condense and solidify to yield a product of good purity.

Neither cyanogen chloride nor a mixture of cyanogen chloride with hydrogen chloride or a group II metal chloride polymerize to cyanuric chloride when heated above 190 C. in the absence However, upon the introduction of charcoal into the reaction chamber, polymerization takes place to yield cyanuric chloride.

This invention contemplates the polymerization at a temperature above the boiling point of cyanuric chloride. There are several reasons for this minimum polymerization temperature. The

polymerization of cyanogen chloride has been" In order to obtain a pure 5 Claims. (Cl. 260-248) catalyst. ing is discontinued so that the reaction c amber found to take place under various conditions at temperatures from its boiling point to that of cyanuric chloride. A polymerization taking place over charcoal below the melting point of cyanuric chloride plugs up the reaction chamber with solid cyanuric chloride and renders continued operation of the process hazardous. A polymerization taking place over charcoal between the melting point and boiling point of cyanuric chloride results in the coating of the surface of the charcoal with liquid cyanuric chloride, which greatly reduces the efiective surface of the catalyst. This reduction in surface area is believed to be responsible for a low percentage conversion and/or yield of cyanuric chloride. Because of the high vapor pressure of liquid cyanuric chloride, it is possible. but not practical, to run the polymerization between the melting point and boiling point of cyanuric chloride by diluting the cyanogen chloride vapors with air which serves to sweep the vapors of cyanuric chloride away from the charcoal catalyst and out of the reaction chamber.

The air also tends to carry some of the cyanuric chloride vapors out of the receiver through the vent pipe and reduce the recovery of product. Thus, it is seen that the reaction should be maintained above the boiling point of cyanuric chloride.

Two types of preparation were used in developing the vapor phase method of preparing cyanuric chloride to its present high level of productivity. In order that there be no ambiguity, these two types of prepartion will be described.

A single pass preparation is one in which a given amount of cyanogen chloride is passed through the reaction chamber over the charcoal After completing this pass, the heatcoo s to approximately room temperature at which po nt the receiver is opened to remove the cyanuric chloride. The charcoal'catalyst may or may .not be replaced, as desired, upon completion of a A chloride substance, such as hydrogen chloride,

one or more group II metal chlorides or a mixture thereof. The results of single pass runs showing the effectiveness of charcoal alone and with typ- -ical group II metal chlorides in wide ranges of o concentration and temperature are recorded in the table. The optimum yields were obtained by impregnating charcoal with a group II metal chloride solution of 3.75% to 5.0%. The reason for the increase in yield in successive single pass runs reusing the same catalyst is believed to be because the charcoal catalyst becomesisaturatedwith adsorbed cyanogen chloride and/or cyanuric chloride after completing the first single pass. The

recovery of cyanuric chloride is substantially com-= Table Percent Yield Run Catal st it $21 1 of'cyanmic' N0. y ONCI D chloride per Single Poss 140A Charcoal only 180 309-438 37. 2 140B Continuation of #140A 120 304-407 74. 2 1400 Continuation of #l40i3... 180 268-396 70. 114 2.5% CaClg on charcoal 120 238-264 20.0 12l A 3.75% CaClz on charcoal 120 253-306 37.5 12113 Continuation of #121A..... 240 219-277 46.8 12011 5.0% @0012 on charcoal. 120 248-322 32. 120B Continuation of #120A..... 120 250-278 30. 2 7.5% CaClz on charcoal 275-322 30. 5 109A 22.8% CaClz on charcoal. 86 226-286 21. 5 109B Continuation of #10911....- 120 260-296 29. 2 112 30% CaClr on charcoal 120 237-275 183 139A 3.75% CaClr on charcoal.-. 120 258-464 0.0 1393 Continuation of #l39A 120 274-458 83. 5 1390 Continuation of #13913. 120 259-406 80. 7 13913 Continuation of #1390"... 120 295-454 87. 5 33A 3.75% MgCh on charcoaL. 300-408 13. 3 33B Continuation of #33A 120 331-454 76. 5 33C Continuation of #3311... 240 204-500. 78.0 35A 3.75% BaClz on charcoal. 180 275-486 35.0 3513 Continuation of #35A l. 300 255-456 87. 5 30A 3.75% SrGlz on charcoal. 180 324-475 36 6 36B Continuation of #36A.. 300 248-480 87. 7 142 3.75% ZnOlz on charcoal. 480 289-482 39. 8

A single pass preparation of cyanuric chloride from cyanogen chloride in the presence of a hydrogen chloride-charcoal catalyst is shown in the following example.

Example 1 During a 45-hour period, a gaseous mixture containing 356parts of cyanogen'chloride and 19 parts of hydrogen chloride is passed into-a reaction chamber containing charcoal at a temperature of 240-400" C. The amount of cyanogen chloride Which is recovered is parts tandnlthe amount of cyanuric chloride obtainedis 157 parts. This corresponds to a conversion of 44.1% anda Example 2 Duringa 1'7.25-hourreaction period, 711 parts of cyanogen chloride are fed intoa'v reaction chamber containing charcoal at i-a temperature or 240-355 0. Theirecovery ofcyanogemchloride is '31 parts 'andthe amount of cyanuric chloride produ'ced i's570 parts. This corresponds to 'a conve'rsion of 80.1% and a yield of 83.8%;

Examplefi During a 32.75 hour period, 1,043' parts i of: cyanogen chloride are fedinto a reaction chamber containing charcoal at atemperature of 205-405" C. The recovery of cyanogen chloride is 9.7 'part'si andxthe amount of cyanuric; chloride pmdiates, chemotherapeutic agents,

4 duced is 965.5 parts. This corresponds to a conversion of 92.5% and a yield of 93.5%.

If it is desirable, cyanuric chloride can be prepared in a finely divided state by this vapor phase method. This is accomplished by keeping the receiver at a temperature below the melting point of cyanuric chloride andabove the boiling point of cyanogen chloride so that the vapors coming from the reaction chamber are cooled quickly to give a finely divided crystalline solid uncontaminated with cyanogen chloride.

Cyanuric chloride prepared by vapor phase polymerization can be used without further purification in the preparation of chemical intermeinsecticides, dyes, synthetic resins, plastics and other materials in which asymmetrical triazine structure is desirable.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to specific embodiments, it is to be understood that it. is not. to be limited thereto but is to be construed broadly and 'restrictedjsolely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed;

1. A method of preparing cyanuric chloride which includes the steps ofipassing cyanogen chloride over charcoal at a temperature of at least 205 C. and until the charcoal becomes saturated with a material chosen from the group consisting of adsorbed cyanogen chloride, cyanuric chloride and a mixture thereof," thereafter continuing the passage of cyanogen chloride over the charcoal under the above temperature conditions, and recovering the cyanuric chloride,

2. A method of. preparing cyanuric chloride which. includes the steps ofpassing cyan en chloride over charcoal which carries a chloride of the formula R011, in which R is chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen and the metals of Group II of the Periodic Arrangement of the Elementsand a: is a whole number, at a temperature of at least 205 C. and until the charcoal becomes saturated with a material chosen from the group consisting of adsorbed cyanogen chloride,

REFERENCES CITED' The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Number Name Date,

1,934,896" Wagner Nov. 14, 1933 1,939,042" Kunz Jan, 22, 1935 2,391,490 Thurston et a1. Dec; 25, 1945 21414 655 Metcalfe Jan. 21, 1947 2,419,488 'Dutcher Apr. 22, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS,

Number Country Date 399,464 Canada 1941 OTHER REFERENCES.

Catalysishy Berkman. p. 456..- 

